Involved in an Incident at work that ended luckily as positively as possible, will write about later....could have ended MUCH WORSE. VERY THANKFUL for a good Human Resources woman here who is extremely professional.

Chips and ice cream for dinner 500

2000 cals today and 1 mile walk perfect !!

1960 7day average = perfect

Progress as of today: 2 lbs lost so far, only 3 lbs to go!

mylilsista on 03/10/2017:
How do you prepare your sweet potatoes to make them appealing? I was so use to a bunch of sugar and butter, that now I am unsure how to eat them.

Horn_of_plenty on 03/12/2017:
I recently have been baking / roasting veggies. You can slice the potatoes, toss them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roast...or you can even mash them and also add the salt / pepper...they do need flavor, so true!

Donkey on 03/11/2017:
Thank goodness for good HR. I'm glad things worked out as well as they could.

Horn_of_plenty on 03/12/2017:
Thanks J...it was a serious disaster at work...

...but as the weekend went by, all i can think is how wrong she was compared to how right i was....but sometimes messing with a boss and speaking out sorta rudely will still have me in more trouble...despite if what i was speaking out for was a valid point.

what happened was, i was not happy about continuing to hear a certain bitchy boss call my coworker. She's sorta a boss, not mine at all, and she rose in the company from originally coming from nothing. Doubt she ever went to college at all...

Anyways, she calls my male 50ish coworker "Baby Mel." instead of his real name, Sal. The reason she calls him that is his dad used to work for the company, as basically 2nd highest in command of over 2,000-3,000 people and Mel was Sal's father. I think it's a horrible nickname as his father isn't even here now...and she calls him "Baby Mel" in front of everyone. I feel it's downplaying Sal's performance at work - constantly referring to him as "his father's baby..." i just hate the nickname and i do KNOW for a fact that Sal doens't like it either. But he'll never speak up for himself, he did tell me he didn't like it when i ask him. But i gotta say, if she's gonna keep with it, i just detested it...i walked to her office and quite forcefully told her how rude it was to call him that....

and i ended up getting blamed, for being "hostile" in the workplace....it was a disaster.

HR told her immediately to STOP calling Sal the name.

But i got spoken to and warned that if i kept up my "hostile" attitude, i could be FIRED!

imagine that!

I was so upset Friday. It was a really, really upsetting sitution.

The woman that i spoke up to, the biatch, is a Bully by nature. I could have done it a little smoother and less aggresively, but i had enough of hearing her call Sal "Baby Mel" for the thousandth time, she NEVER calls him by his true name. What a biatch. I hate her.

When i first came to my company, I'd say hello to her and she'd walk right by me, ignoring me despite my saying hello to her! This woman is a true selfish piece of shiat.

And she tried to have my fired, that inconsiderate piece of work she is.

Snack: none because i was actually busy at work yay! busy until around 1:45 when i took my lunch :) just some candies 50

500 before lunch.;...which is best & low

Very healthy lunch: 1 egg extra yolk though 100 and 2 egg whites 50, a marinated veg salad 100 small amount, another eggplant salad with oil for sure 100, greens 100, caffeine! and a very small sweet potato with skin 100 most bc it's tiny getting great potassium in today! 550, all very healthy and filling

before gym: small bar 100, caffeine

gonna keep cals low today bc i did great throughout work !

after gym: planning on a protein cookie (bc it's also high sugars which i'll be craving i know!) and strawberries back at home. 400

1550, excellent. :-)

6day avg: 1950 - it's good i had a good day today :)

Progress as of today: 2 lbs lost so far, only 3 lbs to go!

Donkey on 03/09/2017:
Catching up here on a few entries: 1. So you're not going to Haiti any more?

2. Try to see your task/project at work as a "work in progress" or a learning experience. Mistakes are going to happen, but learn from them. I know what it's like to be completely out of one's element. It's not a pleasant feeling, but keep working at it :-)

3. Keep up the good work on the legs/walking!

4. I'm trying to focus more on protein too, especially in the morning. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Today it didn't work very well.

Horn_Of_Plenty on 03/10/2017:
1. yeah, decided it's too risky to travel there. also, decided to be home and not fly anywhere except Vegas in October because i need to work on my legs and not overdo by traveling somewhere and being touristy, walking for several days many, many miles...I'd rather just stay strong and stay where i am at. Also, it's at least $600-$800 down the tube :) for an extra trip.

2. Thank you for the insight on this. Yes, its that unpleasant feeling of feeling slightly helpless...

3. Yeah i am getting stronger and much better at squatting, though still doing it without extra added weights is more than enough.

3. When i eat more protein in AM and less carbs, my hunger is slightly diminished which is good. But i tend to want caffeine more when eating more protein and less carbs.

ACV at least half cup in seltzer with stevia. still some additional bloat partially my fault as i had practically an entire bag (six servings) of my cooked cranberries last night. only 120 cal which is why i did it - sweetened with stevia. and some honey this AM. 50.

Breakfast: wrap 80, half tasty fresh avocado 160, egg and egg white around 100. 350. Lots of caffeine at work, tired day since i got up, but working on staying happy.

610, good...decaf coffee if completely necessary, otherwise waiting to eat my healthy lunch, and eating some tuna (only 60 cal for quite a bit of it!) i've had sitting in my desk for emergency since i didn't have any fresh meat or tofu product at home to bring today to work :).....

Healthy 1pm Lunch: tuna packet flavored with jalepeno but was pretty darn good! 60, cabbage 300 cooked with oil and vin and salt / pepper (i cooked!) , pumpkin 100?, fries from my friend at lunch hit the spot perfectly! I need to remember that i like to have carbs at lunch! and bring my own carbs! 200 at least: 700-740 shoot and i had a huge orange 120.

Stopping at supermarket before i get in my car to drive home since supermarket is MAD CLOSE to work (one block) to pick up some lettuce or something to have with my eggplant that i'm taking home for dinner. that's all i need. everything else is at home already - turkey burgers (i'll make them and eat one for dinner!) and i also have carbs at home already. maybe i'll have the healthy sweet potatoes i cooked and never ate! If there's fish at supermarket, I'll buy it premade.

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...but HAPPY...i have a job right? I can live within my means at this moment...i have no debts right now... it pays to come to work everyday right? so why not be happy!!! sometimes it is hard for me to stay happy when doing this type of work bc i get highly anxious when i am not doing things that i know how to do well, you know what i mean?....just very agitated lately...bc i'm doing something i'm not good at, it's making me anxious i have to remember that i just need to concentate & it'll get done...slowly....but i can finish if i put my mind to this...it's not easy.

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So i need to keep exercising and strengthening my legs...so i can def join academy come this coming Winter....no excuses. I am getting VERY CLOSE to being completely pain free, actually...even less sore in mornings...I do walk more....i am getting very close to goal of starting to minimally jog this Springtime....no trips...i realize i must put this health goal first...

Only major trip is October, after i am running...

No other "vacations" like to Miami or Cuba or Haiti. Nope, not smart :) I'll see friends here, do local things. That's within my means. Those trips are NOT priority at all!!!!!!

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...i need the time home for cooking more, taking care of my health more, not partying on vacation and then coming home exhausted and not able to go to gym, etc. ... this year is about striving to get into NYPD and that's the forward & center goal, THE END! :)

Horn_Of_Plenty on 03/08/2017:
Yes, a cup of uncooked is only 60 cal. I eat them cooked of course...but still very low cal! Compare that to a cup of blueberries for like 120 cal. Grapes also are more like 100 cal.

Cup Strawberries is decent too - around 50 but that's bc they are big and bulky.

Horn_Of_Plenty on 03/08/2017:
shoot, i did math wrong, the bag is 180 cal, not 120!

grannyannie on 03/08/2017:
I measure everything in grams on my scale. Strawberries are really low - 27 for 100g which is quite a lot.

Horn_Of_Plenty on 03/08/2017:
Yes...they are a fave fruit of mine for that reason! :) plus antioxidants and the fact they're a berry and like one of the healthiest for that reason too.

grannyannie on 03/08/2017:
I've seen strawberries in the market but don't know how they'll taste yet. I love strawberries!!

Horn_Of_Plenty on 03/08/2017:
lately they are always on sale, i find them for usually between $2-$2.50 a quart...so lately, past few weeks, i've been buying a quart that usually gets eaten over the weekend :)

mylilsista on 03/08/2017:
I remember you from way back when I joined...You've made progress since then! I enjoy reading your daily meal entries (gives me ideas that I hadn't thought of)! I'm glad to be back! I bought a lot of fresh fruits and veggies last week. Some of the fruits didn't taste in season yet..But the veggies are great!

lunch: very healthy. my last turkey burger (need to make more) 150, salad greens 50, baked cabbage that i made so proud 300 but lots of oil lol, leftover a few chips 60, and a taste of something else i ordered for later in the week 100 more tops. 650 or so.

snack before gym: granola bar & caffeine 100 :-)

after gym: protein cookie and tons cooked cranberries 500 :)

doing way better with my eating :-)

1750 TOTAL and wonderful exercise...higher carbs make me feel better before & after workouts.

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Despite having quite the unexpected urge to indulge yesterday, I accomplished a bit after work back at home :)

Once returning home from work, my plan was to COOK and NOT walk or do any other activity. I did great. For the 1st time, I baked shredded cabbage with oil and dab of vinegar, salt & pepper (and it came out so good!). It's funny how much the cabbage shrinks up when you bake it compared to just heating it in microwave. It's very tasty and i'll be eating it for lunch. It took quite awhile to cook the baked cabbage, approx. 30 minutes at 400F for one small bag of pre-shredded cabbage from supermarket.

I cooked 2 bags at separate times (so that's an hour straight up!) and microwaved the last one bc i got lazy. I also added seasoning and the oil/vin mix to the microwaved bag. So my cabbage is a bit higher cal than i usually make it...but healthy. one of the bags of cabbage was on the verge of spoiling so now that it's cooked, i don't need to go to the supermarket for anything. It's all prepared for the rest of the week...

I also cooked up my cranberries (in microwave) and added steva. They taste great as always. I had 3 bags of cranberries that have been sitting in my fridge still fresh for at least 2 MONTHS...so i'm glad i used up another bag. Two to go. Cranberries are low cal...that's why i like them. High in fiber...and healthy. antioxidants. I add them to all sorts of dishes / meals / desserts.

i also boiled up a lot of my eggs, 8 of the dozen and had 3 egg whites already along with a complete egg....good to use what i had in fridge. so i did great last night cooking...

I still have a squash to cook (just partial as i bought it already cut from supermarket just a piece) and also turkey burgers to cook....maybe wednesday...i will not cook tonight as i have to take part in a PAID survey online for Old Navy - the clothing store!...it's a 3-day paid survey and it takes place tuesday, wednesday, thursday with mandatory 30min or so per day online...so after the gym tonight, i'll be doing that survey :-)

if i take part in the Old Navy thing for the required time and give complete answers, the reward is a $75 certificate to the store!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that's good money, don't ya think!?

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Progress as of today: 2 lbs lost so far, only 3 lbs to go!

grannyannie on 03/07/2017:
Healthy eating! I like cranberries but my stomach doesn't. I can eat/drink similar but just not cranberries.

Horn_Of_Plenty on 03/07/2017:
Too much fiber is that why? Or it makes you pee a lot??

grannyannie on 03/07/2017:
No, it's like battery acid in my stomach. Cranberry juice or anything with cranberry in it. I can eat small amounts of it like in cranberry bread, or dried fruit that has a small amount of cranberries in it. And I don't have a sensitive stomach, just with cranberries.

11am too hungry, craving carbs so i didn't satisfy the carb thing....bc i think i have been doing overboard so i had a choc mint protein bar that's old and not that tasty in my drawer at work 150 and lots of stevia candy to dampen my very strong appetite this AM!

12pm Lunch: salad lettuce (leftover from what i bought last week and still good!) 50, 1/2 avocado 150, turkey burger 150, chips small bag 150? - 500 :) oh and some other veg 50. 550. and a small bag popcorn 100...hadd too much caffeine and was soooo hungry at lunch....maybe bc i didn't eat too much yesterday? not sure. but i can tell you my hunger was outrageous today at work after the weekend!

1:15pm cookies 220 (not doing well lol....giving into temptations needed the sugar i think?) ...or rather coworker had cookies and i took 3. They weren't the most sugary type, luckily.

1500-1550

M&M's on way home, peanuts in them 250

1800

Dinner: I am not sure....but i can tell you i'm craving carbs...maybe a protein muffin with extra, extra pumpkin mixed in...i want this...i have a can of pumpkin at home :) one egg and egg whites with a lot of the tasty baked cabbage i made with olive oil and vinegar and salt / pepper.

2200

shooot....and dessert 300

2500! OOPSIE.

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Ok...extremely tired,i am sure it's due to the sleeping pill...not wearing off right today. oh well. will not take any tonight as i can tell i'll be able to sleep quite fine without.

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I also got a 20 min fast walk in last evening (after i took sleeping pill lol and before dinner) in the freezing cold! - my toes were numb once i got home after only 20min...but it was sooooo worth getting a walk in after a sorta sedentary day but eventful day! It was a wonderful weekend! Last night it was windy and under 30degrees around 5pm.

Got great sleep and could have slept a hair more! I took a sleeping pill, a little late, around 5pm and fell asleep by 8pm...sleeping decently but waking up 1x throughout the night until 5:45am. Good sleep which I need. Tonight will be another night for sleeping well...

Today is full of plans and i'm also making boiled green jamaican bananas (they aren't plantains, but they don't turn yellow either)...they are healthier than yellow bananas. Green have less sugar and more starch and they'll be good to eat either with breakfast or lunch this week! Can't wait to try them. If they are good, I may buy them semi-regularly!

Also on the go -

9:30-11:30Morning: with grandma, i told my dad i'd see her (saw her also last week with him)...but wanted to sleep in today bc i went to the gym last night & have a busy day...but doing him the favor because i love him & know he does NOT enjoy himself nearly enough at his ripe age of 64 it saddens me that he sometimes doesn't enjoy as much as i think he should his life!

Tasty 10am Breakfast: oatmeal with a sample of a new protein powder i bought (but not again, wasn't impressed and didn't like the green color) 310, and a small banana, little bit of honey, and some peanut butter 250. total here is around 550. good! and more importantly, healthy.

did good :)....and best part of today - very healthy. craving coffee...i could make some for myself as i now have a coffee making from my old boss at my house...but never used it...it was his from work!

4pm: i should just make the coffee....YES....not enough coffee mix and too much water, but now i know what to do for next time, i underestimated the markings on the coffee pot, next time i'll do it right ;)....and used almond milk, almost no cal.

5pm before gym: 100 cal granola bar and small amount caffeine

8pm after gym: Subway flatbread with extra veggies and a nice oily veggie burger that they have...it's filling and i was so content on my drive home after (Subway is conveniently 2 doors away from the gym so i sometimes go there afterwards).

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Tomorrow i have a lot of plans, so today is slower. Gonna take a quick shower soon (it's around 11am) and do all my laundry soon. Then i also plan on basically relaxing with a little reading & cooking also. Gym is tonight so that I don't have to go late Sunday evening / night. I don't like that before a full week of work & getting up early the next day after gym!

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Workwise, March will be a challenge. No days off unless I want to lose pay. I am currently trying to stay up for the challenge of not missing any work in March. There are THREE days that I will have to leave early or come late to work during this month....so that should be the stimulus to make me want to be at work on all the other days and NOT take additional time off :)

Reasons for my coming early or leaving early are:

1. Going to Tax Guy this Friday and he's quite far from me and my work but he does a GREAT job,

2. following Monday I have a very important dr appt that i go to every 3 months (psych), and

3. lastly I need to go to court at the end of the month for a cell phone ticket (learned lesson and do not touch cell while driving anymore).

I plan to show my boss all receipts to show that these are true reasons not made up...i think.

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Slept around 12 hours. I love to do this after a long week.

I def took sleeping pill Friday night around 7 or 8 i think as i didn't sleep great during the week bc i am a busy person! and it's ok!

Snack: maybe if I feel like it...serving of Smokehouse roasted, salted almonds 170

600 or so, good.

Lunch: HEALTHY ! ... all good things...my eating has been much improved, more meals are balanced lately... gonna include tons of leftovers like few fried planains and pumpkin....it's gonna be darn good...also including some lettuce...leftover bites of salmon and half a turkey burger...also half a juicy huge navel orange...calculate calories later....gonna be darn good.

ok lunch: huge orange for dessert boy was that great 150, pumpkin 150?, small piece salmon 100?, piece turkey burger 100, oh and 2 pieces fried plantain 100 tops. 600 and all very healthy. plus at lunch i walked and picked up healthy food for weekend and partial next week.

Dinner: going to be a nice piece of cod i bought, tons of freshly prepared fresh veggies just cooked before i bought them nicely sauteed in olive oil...and some sorta carb...thinking chips as i am just not wanting a sweet potato (i have several at home in fridge already cooked!)

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I feel renewed and happy. Learning to really have a good balance and sleep is much better than it used to be. It's far from perfect (i do wake up throughout night but tend to fall back asleep easily).

The extra HOURS that I sleep especially on weekends really gives my mind and body the rest I need. As I exercise more, this rest is completely necessary and fundamental to keeping me going at this high level. Life is not good, but GREAT.

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Going to brunch with older male friend (around 25yrs older so no dating) and then a Jazz concert after with him also (free! - and it should be very good as the library concerts i always enjoy) at library this Sunday...

Next Saturday the 11th I'll be in the city to see an Off Broadway show called Naked Men Singing! with 2 other friends...

Following weekend the 18th getting together with my long time friends, group of us around 8?, at an apt for fun and games and hopefully going out to dinner in hopefully their Village location...my married couple friends own TWO co-ops in city...so we're either meeting up at the Seaport (far away from me!) or their more convenient Village apt...hopefully the latter, but it doesn't matter :) it's an adventure either way! always fun with them!

April 7th Friday Night - going to Mohegan Sun but staying at a cheaper hotel (Microtel owned by Wyndham) only 2mi away from there that provides free shuttle service to and from Mohegan.

Microtel is only $148 for one night compared to at least $250 if not more!! if we were to stay at Mohegan...going with my good friend from work ($74 each and separate beds which will be PERFECT!) - we always party together...i went to Atlantic City with her for one night last year, exactly the same weekend in April! should be fun! I am going to Vegas with her in October...love this girl! We have done many activities together over the past couple years! She's so much fun!

Even if we miss the last 2am shuttle back from Mohegan Sun back to Microtel in the next town, a taxi shouldn't be more than $10 to go 2mi back to our hotel (Microtel). We will save at least $50 each if not more!!! - by stayingin the cheaper location.

And Microtel is owned by Wyndham so it should be decent and hopefully not in shambles at all! - it's not a total hole in the wall as I am sure you have heard of Wyndham :-) Found the deal on Groupon, $60 off their usual price on a Friday night..if i remember the deal correctly...

Good to save the money we'll need to when we are buying food and drinks and gas, etc...save the money when you can, right!?

Mohegan has tons of partying and dancing on Friday nights...so I'm REALLY looking forward to this one night fun time....I plan to meet a guy...and dance with him, etc., etc., etc., .....Girls can have fun all!....as long as I play safe, I am allowed...I'm an adult, 34, and can do what I please as long as I play SAFELY! :)

Lots of upcoming fun and celebrations throughout Spring :-)

Trying to plan Havana, Cuba still...waiting to hear that my friend got a job. She'll only buy the flight once she has a job which is sorta annoying considering the flight is around $150 for her from Miami to Cuba...but i DO UNDERSTAND.

My flight to Cuba from NY is around 350-400...still decent and cheap. We will stay in a homestay or rent apt. which per person will not be more than like $30 per night - in CUBA! GREAT DEALS, again!

Progress as of today: 2 lbs lost so far, only 3 lbs to go!

innerpeace on 03/03/2017:
All sounds fun, exciting and great things to look forward to.

Horn_Of_Plenty on 03/03/2017:
yeah, i have taken advantage of living my life now that i do not have a best friend that i am dedicated to.

Donkey on 03/03/2017:
I agree sounds like a lovely weekend with a lot of fun adventures coming up!

PS My daughter plays the French horn :-)

Horn_Of_Plenty on 03/06/2017:
Oh nice...French horn is an amazing instrument :) I would know!!!!!!

10am work breakfast after reading and marking up a friend's resume....got to use my brain and totally took away my hunger! Tomato wrap 60, pepperoni 50, cream cheese 100. Going to lay off all caffeine today possibly. had enough and trying to get my skin to tame up. 230 tops.

900...plan is to make today low cal...i want to have a turkey burger tonight yes...I'll broil them in the oven this time instead of stove top - less smoke and mess. gonna quickly look it up now...turkey burgers and also baked cabbage so with oil and salt and pepper to make it a little crispy is my plan.

snack on way home and some candies made with stevia during work - 100 tops